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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · cabinet · fan · squash · current · rush · cue · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pitch — completely
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. squash — to crush
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cue — a signal
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. squash — the sport
  19. game — a match
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com